


The Four Books of Genesis

by MikeXeno



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Bible, Gen, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 03:32:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16032104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikeXeno/pseuds/MikeXeno
Summary: Herein follows the Story of how the THREE WORLDS came to be:  the Over-World which is Home to the People, the Nether-World where the Abominations live in Fire, and the End-World where the Dragon dwells in Darkness.  Herein also is told how the People learned the CRAFT, and built great Wonders, but then in their folly destroyed their creations in War.  And herein is prophesized the coming of the CRAFTER, the One who knows all the Magic of the World, and who is tasked by the Benevolent SEED to rebuild this World, and stand against the spawns of the Darkness; yea, even before the Ender-Dragon.





	1. GENESIS I:  The Spawning

** The Seed **

In the beginning there was the VOID, in which there was nothing.

And unto the VOID came the Sun All-Powerful, and the Moon All-Wise; and in the emptiness they joined, and together did they make the First Spawn, and they called it the Seed.

And the Seed saw that the VOID was unbounded, but empty and lacking both form and life. And so upon the VOID the Seed laid the Bedrock; and upon the Bedrock, the Seed spawned all the World.

The mountains formed in accordance with the Seed, and the rivers and the oceans filled with water; the earth was made of stone, and the ores spawned deep within the earth, all in accordance with the Seed.

Upon the World, the Seed spawned the first Life, and the first Life was a Tree. And so beautiful was the Tree that the Seed spawned the Trees throughout the World, and the World became green and vibrant.

And the Seed was overjoyed with the wonder of Life, and so it spawned Life in all its variety.

The flowers came forth to give bright color to the World, and the Cows walked upon the World, and the Sheep and the Pigs, and the Horses and the Chickens. And the grasses gave them their food, and Life flourished throughout the Land.

But the World was all the same; and so the Seed made the Biomes in their wondrous variety. Here there would be a Biome of Plains, and here a Biome of Forest, and elsewhere a Biome of Desert sand. And so the World was diversified, and in each Biome there spawned Life; and the Rabbits walked upon the World, and the Polar Bears, and the Ocelots and the Wolves, and in the Oceans there spawned the Squids and the Fishes, and in the most far-off and mysterious places of the World spawned the Moo-shrooms.

But the Seed was not content, for the creatures were simple and dull of wit, and could not appreciate the World. And so the Seed spawned the People, and the People were given hearts with which to feel and minds with which to think, so that they might see the World and wonder at its beauty.

And the People wandered the World with the other creatures, and they wondered indeed.

Still, the Seed was not content, for the People viewed the Seed with reverence and awe, and the Seed longed for a true companion. And so the Seed spawned the Serpent, the largest and most powerful of all Life, with power nearly equal to that of the Seed who Spawned the World.

And the Serpent said unto the Seed, “I am the Serpent, spawn of the Seed, the largest and most powerful. O Seed, is it my purpose to rule this World?”

And the Seed said, “I am the Seed who spawned the World. The creatures are content and the People wander freely, finding beauty in all they see. Be content as well, O Serpent, and wonder at this World. The World needs none to rule.”

And so the Seed beheld the World, in the light of the First Day, and saw that it was Good.

****

* * *

****

** The Darkness of the Night **

And the Seed spoke, and said unto the Sun and the Moon, “I am the Seed who spawned the World! Behold all that I have done!”

But alas, the Seed found that the laying of the Bedrock had separated the Moon from the Sun, and only the Sun could see all the wonders that had been spawned, while the Moon remained in the VOID. And the Seed despaired, for the Moon could see only the endless Bedrock, and not the glory of the World.

Now the Serpent heard the Seed’s lament, but did not despair as the Seed did.

For alas, the Serpent felt discontent and jealousy, and in secret the Serpent raged at the Seed.

And the Serpent thought, “Why am I spawned, if not to rule? For I am the greatest and most powerful of all Life; and behold, I am but One, while all other Life spawns in numbers beyond count! Surely I am meant for more than to sit idle and wonder at the Seed’s accomplishments.”

And the Serpent thought further, “The Seed has used the Power of the Sun to spawn this World, the Power of Light and Life. But I sense another power which the Seed has not tapped, and this is the Power of Darkness. In the VOID beneath the Bedrock, I feel this Power, and if it could be brought to the surface of the World, it would be mine to command!”

And the Serpent thought further, “So long as the Sun gives light to the World, the Power of Darkness is banished; but the Moon’s light is feeble, and should the Moon alone light the World, the Power of Darkness will usurp the Power of Light, and I will be its Master.”

Then the Serpent formed a plan, and sought out the Seed, who still despaired that the Moon could not see the World.

And so the Serpent spoke unto the Seed, and it said, “O Seed who spawned the World, I see that you despair. But consider, if the Sky could be turned, then the Moon could behold the World; for it would rise from the VOID and see all that you have spawned.”

And the Sun saw what the Seed intended, and said, “First-Spawn, do not seek to move the very skies; for once it is done it cannot be undone, and you know not what shall come to pass!”

But alas, the Seed did not heed the words of the Sun, and so commanded the Sky to turn. And the Sky did turn, and the Moon began to rise from the VOID.

But, lo! the Seed had been deceived; for in its haste to show the Moon what it had spawned upon the World, it did not see that the Sun would follow the turning Sky into the VOID. And when the Sun descended beneath the Bedrock, the world grew dark with the first Night.

And the Serpent triumphed in the Darkness; and in its pride swollen with victory, the Serpent drew upon the Power of Darkness to spawn its own Life upon the World.

But the Life spawned in Darkness by the Serpent was both hideous and vile, born as it was from the Serpent’s jealousy and rage.

From the black shadows of the World there spawned foul Zombies, and the ghastly Spiders, and the hideous Skeletons, and the gruesome Creepers. And these creatures descended upon the all the Life spawned by the Seed, and in the dark of the Night, sought to destroy them.

And the Seed recoiled at what had been done to the World, and beseeched the Serpent, “O my Child, do not spawn such horrors upon the World!”

But the Serpent’s own heart had become consumed by the Power of Darkness, and it did not heed the Seed, but spawned its creatures in ever greater numbers; and they destroyed the Life spawned by the Seed, and threatened to overrun all the World.

The Seed looked upon the World, and in great agony of spirit did the Seed see these creatures destroy the Life it had spawned.

And the Seed wailed, “O, I should have heeded the words of the Sun, for I have turned the World to Darkness! This pestilence must be removed from the World, lest all Life be laid waste!”

The Serpent laughed, and taunted the Seed, and said, “My creations are more powerful than your own; you cannot destroy them!”

And the Seed became incensed by the words of the Serpent.

And the Moon saw what the Seed intended, and it cautioned the Seed, “First-Spawn, do not attempt to undo what has been done. For your power is not to Destroy, but rather to Create, and in your despair and agony shall you create Abominations even more terrible than those that the Serpent has spawned!”

But alas, the Seed did not heed the words of the Moon, and unleashed its power onto the spawns of the Serpent.

And the Seed struck down upon the Skeletons, and the Zombies, and the Spiders and the Creepers.

But, lo! The Seed had been deceived, for the power of Creation wielded in fury and fear spawned fearsome Abomination.

When the Seed sought to destroy the Spiders, they became the dreadful Ghasts, floating in ghostly forms above the land and spitting their fire into those who dared to look upon them.

When Seed tried to vanquish the Skeletons, they blackened and took up swords, and attacked all who came near.

When the Seed struck the Zombies with fire, instead they took the fire into themselves and became the fearsome Blazes, burning all that they touched.

And the Seed wailed, “O, I should have heeded the words of the Moon, for in my fury I have indeed spawned most terrible Abominations!”

 

* * *

  

** The Nether-World **

The Seed beseeched the Moon, and said, “What can I do? The World is destroyed, and my power cannot save it!”

And the Moon spoke unto the Seed, and said, “Heed now the words I have said to you already; that yours is the power to Create, not to Destroy. Seek now to use the Power of Creation to set the World right once again.”

The Seed thought upon what the Moon had spoken, and knew what must be done.

And so the Seed gathered all its Power of Creation, and deep within the Bedrock the Seed spawned a new World, a world in which all of the Abominations might be contained and hidden away from the Over-World.

The very Bedrock split asunder, and both above and below the new World was the Bedrock, and thus was the new World held between the foundations, that the Seed might hide its shame. And the new World became the Nether-World, as it lay beneath the Over-World.

And the Serpent laughed, and said, “Your Nether-World is trapped in eternal darkness, for in your shame you do not dare to show it to the Sun or the Moon!”

But the Seed was not finished, and in the Nether-World the Seed spawned great racks of stone which would burn with fire, and melted the rock into bright Lava, and spawned the brilliant Glow-Stones to light up the darkness.

The Serpent laughed again, and said, “Fool that you are, O Seed, you have hidden your Nether-World all too well; for the Bedrock is impenetrable, and there can be no passage from this World to the next!”

But the Seed was not finished, and it said, “I shall use a new Magic, and name it the Magic of the Craft, and thus form the Portal from the Over-World to the Nether.”

In the Over-World the Seed turned fire upon the rock, and melted it into Lava; then, the Seed poured water upon the Lava, and it cooled into the very hardest and blackest of stones.

And with the Diamonds it had spawned within the deepest recesses of the Earth, the Seed cracked the hard and black Obsidian from the pits in which it had formed; and from the Obsidian, the Seed Crafted a great Portal.

Now, the Serpent did not laugh, but rather grew afraid; for the Craft was indeed a new Magic, one far beyond its knowing.

And with its power the Seed opened the Portal, and the Abominations which had been spawned in fury and despair were drawn to the fire and the heat of the Nether-World, and as one they turned from the Over-World and passed through the Portal.

And when the last of them had entered the Nether-World, the Seed closed the Portal; and tore it asunder, that it may be used no more.

 

* * *

** The Light of the Day **

The Serpent feared the power of the Seed, though it did not dare to show its fear.

And he Serpent said, “Your Abominations have fled to the Nether-World, but my own spawns remain, for they are drawn to Darkness and not to the heat and the light of the Nether. Your power cannot vanquish them!”

“Alas, the Serpent speaks true,” the Seed wailed in despair, “for my attempts to destroy the dark creatures of the Night have resulted in Abomination, and I dare not use my power upon them again!”

And the Moon said unto the Seed, “Do not despair, my child. For though My Light is too dim to repel the creatures of the Serpent, the Sky yet turns; and when the Sun comes into the Sky again, the spawns of the Serpent shall fall before the Light of the Day!”

And the Sky did turn, and as the Moon set beneath the Bedrock into the VOID, the Sun emerged to shine in glory upon the World.

Before the great Power of the Sun did the Zombies and the Skeletons perish in flames, and the Spiders were struck with fear and fled into the shadows, and the Creepers burst apart in the light.

But as the Creepers did explode, the Seed saw that they wrought ever greater destruction upon the World, tearing great caverns and deep ravines into the very Stone; and so the Seed beseeched the Sun to spare them; and the Sun did so, allowing the Creepers to walk in the light.

Now, in the Light of Day, the Serpent’s own power had become much diminished; and the Serpent did tremble in fear before the Seed.

And the Seed said to the Sun, “The Serpent is afraid, but the Sky yet turns and the Darkness will restore the Serpent’s power. O bright and glorious Sun, Your power is greater than both of us together, and You can destroy the Serpent before the night comes again, so that no further evil may be wrought upon the World!”

But the Sun said, “Think upon what you say, O Seed, for the Serpent is your own spawn. The Serpent’s creations are indeed horrors unto the World, and gladly did I destroy them; but I shall not destroy that which my own Child has created.”

And the Seed looked upon the Serpent, and knew that this was true.

Then the Seed said, “If the Sun will not destroy my own spawn, I surely cannot, for though the Serpent has done Evil I must love my own Child. I do not forget what you have done, O Serpent, but I may forgive. The Over-World shall remain your home, but no more horrors will you spawn; and you will command your foul creatures to leave the Life of the Over-World in peace. This is how it must be.”

And the Serpent bowed, and said, “So be it.”

And so, in the Light of Day, the Seed beheld the Over-World; and the harm done by the Serpent and the creatures of the Night.

And the Seed said, “The Serpent is tamed, and the creatures of Darkness held at bay through the Power of the Sun. But the scars rent in the World are both deep and wide! Great cracks in the Earth have split the World asunder, and the fiery Lava pools in the deepest caverns, here and there bursting into the surface of the land. Yea, there is beauty to be found even in this, but also danger and death.”

And the Seed said, “The simple creatures of the world have forgotten what the Serpent’s spawns have done to them, the Cow and the Sheep and the far-off Moo-shroom; but the People do not forget, and their fear consumes them. In fear shall they strike back at the spawn of the Serpent, and the dark creatures shall strike in return, and the World will descend into Chaos.”

The Serpent then spoke, and said, “It is to my shame that I have spawned horrors, and so I vow I will spawn no more in the Over-World; but these creatures of Darkness remain my children, and like the Sun I will not destroy my own. Nor will I leave them defenseless before the People, who will seek to destroy them. My creatures will live in peace with all other creatures yet spawned in this World, so long as they are left in peace, but should they be met with violence, it is with violence shall they respond.”

And the Seed knew this to be true.

Then the Serpent said, “I remain the most powerful of your creations, is that not so?”

And the Seed replied, “You are, O Serpent; even diminished in the light of Day, you are more powerful than any other I have spawned.”

And the Serpent said, “Because of my great power, I fear no creature who walks upon the World, not even the fiercest of the abominations who dwell in the Nether. If you wish for the People to be unafraid, you must give them power, and then they will have no cause to fear the creatures of Darkness.”

Now, the Seed knew that the Serpent was both clever and deceptive, and so the Seed did not heed the words of the Serpent.

But when the Sun sank into the VOID and the Moon rose to dimly illuminate the Night, the People did grow afraid, and in their fear they did attack the creatures of Darkness. All through the Night did the Seed hear the shrieks of the dying, and by Daybreak the Seed could bear no more.

The Serpent looked with the Seed upon the destruction wrought anew, and said, “And thus will be every Night yet to come, O Seed, if you do nothing.”

 

* * *

** The Magic of the Craft **

And the Seed said, “I cannot grant to the People the powers of Creation as I have wielded, for in their fear they might use it as I have, and in so doing they will spawn their own Abominations. Nor will I grant them the power of Destruction, for in their fear they might destroy this World to the very Bedrock. But there is another power in this World, and that is the Magic of the Craft. To the people I shall teach this power, and with it they will build shelters, and thus will they keep themselves safe.”

And so the Seed descended to the World, and there it beheld the People, who were huddled and afraid.

And the Seed said unto them, “I am the Seed who spawned the World.”

And the people bowed low before the Seed who had spawned them.

And the Seed said, “The creatures of the Darkness threaten the People of the World, and it is not in my power to destroy them. But I say this unto you now, that you need fear these creatures no longer, for they will leave you at peace so long as you do no harm unto them.”

And the People spoke, and said, “The Seed says it and so it must be true; and yet, we know that when the Darkness comes again, such will be our fear that our minds will leave us, and we will forget what you have said.”

And the Seed said, “Then, I will show you a power to keep the Darkness at bay, that you shall not be afraid. Attend me now, and you shall learn the Magic of the Craft!”

And the Seed said, “Behold! as I fell the Oak-Tree, and gather the logs which drop from the Tree. With these Logs shall I Craft oaken planks, and then with the Planks I shall Craft these sticks.” And as the Seed spoke, so the deed was done.

And the People said, “Surely, this is wondrous Magic, but how will it keep the Darkness at bay?”

And the Seed said, “Behold! as I mine into the earth, past the Dirt until I have uncovered the Stone, and then past the Stone until I have uncovered the Ore of Coal. I now break the Ore, and from within the Coal is released!” And as the Seed spoke, so the deed was done.

And the People said, “This is Power great indeed, but the Darkness looms ever closer!”

Then the Seed said, “Behold! for I take the Sticks and the Coal, and with them combined I now Craft the Torch; and this Torch shall burn with fire as does the Lava, yet it may be wielded by your hands and give Light wherever it may be placed. With your Torches lit, you will defy the Darkness!”

And the People wondered at this Magic; and before the Sun had set, they too had gathered the Wood, and Mined the Coal, and Crafted Torches of their own.

And the People were less afraid, but as the creatures of Darkness grew near, the People saw that the Torches did not burn with the same light as the all-powerful Sun, and so the creatures were not turned back by the Torch-light.

The People were frightened, and in their fear they sought to strike at the spawns of Darkness.

But the Seed said, “Wait, and do not strike, for I have more Magic to show you.”

And the Seed said, “Behold! as I take the Planks of Oak-Wood, and the strong Cobbled Stone which was mined as I sought the Ore of Coal; and with these things I now build the first Shelter. Go within the Shelter now, and be safe behind its walls through the Night!”

And so it was that the People passed through the Night without fear, in their Shelter of Wood and Stone, and their Torches giving them light.

When the Day broke, the People greeted the Sun with great joy, and they said unto the Seed, “We thank you, O Seed, for the gift of the Craft!”

And the Seed was pleased, and said unto the People, “There is much more of the Craft, and this I will teach you. I will show you how to Craft the Tools with which you may mine the Ores of the Earth; and the Tables through which you may Craft even more wondrous things; and the Furnaces by which you will smelt the Ores to release ingots of Iron and Gold, or to melt the Sand into crystalline Glass. But heed my words now! You must use this great power to restore this World, to build structures both humble and grand, and remember always to live at peace with the other creatures of the World.”

And the People said, “We beseech you, O Seed, to show us more of this mighty power, and with the Craft we will make wonders unto this World!”


	2. GENESIS II:  The Wonders

 

** The Wonders of the World **

With the Magic of the Craft, the People transformed the World.

In the Deserts and the Jungles, the People used the Magic of the Craft to quarry the Stone and build great Temples, and in the Temples they guarded their secrets and their treasures.

And within the Temples there dwelled the Stonecutters and the Masons, and the Miners and the Iron-workers, and there were Priests to rule the Temples.

In the Oceans, the People used the Magic of the Craft to build ships to sail upon the waters, and they raised great Monuments beneath the Sea; and the Monuments glowed with the most beautiful lights in all the World, that of the Sea-Lanterns.

And upon the Sea there dwelled the Sailors and the Fishermen, and the Engineers and the Map-Makers, and there were Guardians to rule the Ocean Monuments.

In the Forests, the People used the Magic of the Craft to build great Palaces and Mansions, where they lived in comfort and security.

And within the Mansions there dwelled the Carpenters and the Glassblowers, and the Fletchers and the Librarians, and there were Lords to rule over the Mansions.

In the Swamps, the People used the Magic of the Craft to build humble Cottages, and there they practiced the arts of Enchantment and Witchcraft.

And within the Cottages dwelled the Healers and the Seers, and the Alchemists and the Brewers, and there were Witches to rule over them.

Upon the Plains, the People used the Magic of the Craft to build Villages, where they reaped the bounty of the land and the livestock.

And within the Villages there dwelled the Farmers and the Shepherds, and the Butchers and the Leatherworkers, and there were none who ruled over them.

And the Seed beheld these wonders.

And the Seed thought, “This is good! For the People rebuild the World, making it more wondrous than it was before the Darkness.”

And the Seed thought further, “But I must not forget that this was the idea of the Serpent, and in truth the Serpent may not be reformed; I know that my Child may be both devious and deceptive. And so I must take care as I teach the Magic of the Craft to the People, and teach none of them all of the Magic; they will each learn only a part of what there is to know, and in this way they will be strong only when they are together, and weak when they are apart.”

And so, there were none among the people who learned more than but a single trade; there were none to whom the Seed taught more than what they needed to know.

And the People lived in harmony, sharing their knowledge and the products of their Craft.

**  
**

* * *

 

** The First Deception of the Serpent **

The Serpent beheld all that the Seed had done.

And the Serpent thought, “The Seed was right to be wary, for though I have humbled myself I work to my own End, and not to that of the Seed.”

And the Serpent thought further, “Save the benevolent Sun and Moon, the Seed has never known one with greater power; and so, the Seed knows nothing of the Envy and the Jealousy which are my fate. Thus far, the People know naught of such feelings either, for the Seed has made them believe that they are all equal masters of their trades. But the People shall know these things, and I shall seek out those who may best serve my End. I will show them even greater power, and in their Jealousy they shall gladly accept what I offer, and consider not the price they must pay!”

And the Serpent thought further, “Indeed, power shall they have; but their power shall serve me, for I have Magic of which even the Seed knows not. I shall make these People mine own, and respawn them in my own image, and through them shall I become more powerful even than the Seed; through them, shall I rule this Over-World.”

And the Serpent thought further, “The Seed will try to stop me, and unless my plan be complete I shall be thwarted. And so I must hide my machinations from the Seed; in the furthest depths of the Earth I will hide away and remain unseen, where even the light of the Sun and the Moon may not reach. For this, I will need the Miners of the Temples.”

The Serpent then transformed into the shape of a Man, tall and thin, eyes aglow with power.

And the Man entered unto the Temples, and there sought out the Miners.

And the Serpent-who-was-the-Man came before the Miners, and said unto them, “It is you who dig deep into the earth, and bring up the Stone which builds the Temples, and the most valuable of Ores which are guarded within the vaults. Is this not so?”

And the Miners said, “Yes, this is so.”

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “The Temples would not exist without your power, and so why do you not rule over them?”

And to this, the Miners had no answer, but they felt the stirrings of Jealousy.

And so the Serpent-who-was-the-Man said, “Come with me, and I will show you the deepest mines of the Earth wherein lie the greatest treasures of them all; and you will not give them unto the Priests, but rather keep them for yourselves!”

And the Miners felt strongly the rage which the Serpent knew well; and so they left the Temples, and followed the Man.

And the Serpent thought, “I have the Miners, but their Craft is not enough to accomplish my plan. To build a Stronghold so deep within the earth, I must have the Engineers who have built the Monuments in the depths of the Sea.”

And so once again, the Serpent transformed into the shape of a Man, tall and thin, eyes aglow with power.

Then the Man entered unto the Ocean Monuments, and there sought out the Engineers.

And the Serpent-who-was-the-Man came before the Engineers, and said unto them, “It is you who build these great Monuments, who Craft the Prismarine and the Sea-Lanterns, and keep the Golden treasures hidden safely within.”

And the Engineers said, “Yes, this is so.”

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “The Monuments would not exist without your power; and so why do you not rule over them?”

And to this, the Engineers had no answer, but they felt the stirrings of Jealousy.

And so the Serpent-who-was-the-Man said, “Come with me, and I will show you the grandest caverns of the earth wherein you may build great Strongholds; and you will not give them unto the Guardians, but rather dwell in them yourselves!”

And the Engineers felt strongly the rage which the Serpent knew well; and so they left the Ocean Monuments, and followed the Man.

And the Serpent thought, “To carry out my plan will require knowledge and learning beyond even that which I myself have attained. To secure this knowledge, I will need the Librarians of the Forest Mansions.”

And so once again, the Serpent transformed into the shape of a Man, tall and thin, eyes aglow with power.

Then the Man entered unto the Mansions, and there sought out the Librarians.

And the Serpent-who-was-the-Man came before the Librarians, and said unto them, “It is you who preserve all knowledge, who learn the hidden truths of the World, and it is with these secrets that these great halls have been constructed.”

And the Librarians said, “Yes, this is so.”

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “The Mansions would not exist without your power; and so why do you not rule over them?”

And to this, the Librarians had no answer, but they felt the stirrings of Jealousy.

And so the Serpent-who-was-the-Man said, “Come with me, and I will show you the very darkest secrets of the Earth, which none other have ever seen; and you will not give this knowledge not unto the Lords, but rather keep it for yourselves!”

And the Librarians felt strongly the rage which the Serpent knew well; and so they left the Mansions, and followed the Man.

And the Serpent thought, “The Seed commands the most powerful Magic in all the World, but the Seed dares not to tap the great power of the Nether-World, and so if I am to match the Seed’s power I must have a Portal such as the one the Seed has torn asunder. To open a Portal requires powerful Magic, and for this I will need the Alchemists of the Swamps.”

And so once again, the Serpent transformed into the shape of a Man, tall and thin, eyes aglow with power.

Then the Man entered unto the Swamps, and there sought out the Alchemists.

And the Serpent-who-was-the-Man came before the Alchemists, and said unto them, “It is you who delve into the mysteries of Sorcery and Enchantment, and seek to discover all the Magicks of this World. Is this not so?”

And the Alchemists said, “Yes, this is so.”

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “These humble cottages cannot keep the dangers of the Swamps at bay, and without your Magic none could live here; and so why do you not rule over them?”

And to this, the Alchemists had no answer, but they felt the stirrings of Jealousy.

And so the Serpent-who-was-the-Man said, “Come with me, and I will show you Magic of which you have never dreamed, Magic which transcends the Over-World; and you will not give this power unto the Witches, but rather wield it for yourselves!”

And the Alchemists felt strongly the rage which the Serpent knew well; and so they left the Swamps, and followed the Man.

And the Serpent thought, “Lastly I will need great numbers, for my army of servants must be invincible, and as there are none more numerous than the Villagers, it is to the Villages I must go next.”

And so once again, the Serpent transformed into the shape of a Man, tall and thin, eyes aglow with power.

Then the Man entered the Villages; but there, the Serpent-who-was-the-Man found People who had learned only the simplest of Crafts, and as there were none who ruled over them he could not find a way to inspire the Jealousy and the Rage which would bind them unto him.

And so, the Man-who-was-the-Serpent thought, “It is enough that I have those who follow me already, for I will make them so strong as to overwhelm ten times their own numbers.”

And the Serpent left the Villages, and none followed.

The Man led the Miners, and the Engineers, and the Librarians, and the Alchemists; and took them into the deepest of Ravines, into the very lowest parts of the Earth, where the creeping Silver-Fish made their nests in the Stone.

And when they beheld the darkness of the deep caverns, and saw the pools of Lava and the very Bedrock itself, the People became afraid, for the Miners had never dug so deep, and the Engineers felt the weight of the Stone above them, and the Librarians had no knowledge of such places, and the Magic of the Alchemists seemed feeble against such Darkness.

And so they beseeched the Man who had brought them there, and said, “We are afraid, use your power to help us!”

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “I do not fear the Darkness, for my power is the Darkness itself! To each of you I may bestow this power; the Darkness shall enter unto you, and then you shall be the strongest people of all the Over-World. Do you accept this gift of power?”

And the People in their terror said, “Yes, yes!”

Then the Man became the Serpent once more, and to all the People who trembled before the Darkness he gave the power of Darkness, which burned through them all in cold fire; and the People were changed.

They felt their limbs grow long and thin, but stronger than they had ever been before; and their eyes sunk into faces turned black; but when they looked again upon the Dark they feared it no more, for the Darkness had entered their hearts and become one with them all.

And so the Darkened Ones worked the Magic of the Craft which the Serpent could not; and in time they had built great spreading Mines and secret Strongholds deep within the Earth, and within those Strongholds were vast Libraries, and fountains of water which flowed from deep springs, and chambers where the Alchemists could explore the deepest mysteries of Magic.

And the Serpent felt triumph anew, for the first part of the plan was complete.

* * *

 

** The Second Deception of the Serpent **

And the Serpent said, “Now, to begin the second part of my plan.”

Again the Serpent transformed into the Man, and as the Man, summoned one of the Librarians.

The Librarian said, “O great and powerful Man who has taken away our Fear, how may I show my gratitude?”

The Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “In the Over-World the People will know that many among them are missing, and they will seek you all out. We are hidden well beneath the Earth, but they will find you in time and the Seed will take away the power I have given you.”

The Librarian said, “Nay, I do not wish to lose this power, for with it I no longer fear the Darkness!”

The Serpent-who-was-the-Man said, “Then you must return to the surface world, and there you will tell the Lords of the Mansions that it is the Guardians of the Ocean Monuments who have taken the Librarians. Then you will go to the rulers of all the other People, and again you will tell them falsely where their craftsmen have gone; and then none will seek you here, and here you may remain.”

Now, the Librarian’s Craft is that of knowledge and truth, and so the Librarian felt hesitation when commanded to lie to his former Lords and the other rulers of the People. But such is the power of the Darkness that the Librarian overcame these qualms, and so to the Serpent the Librarian said, “Yes, I will do as you bid.”

The Serpent then spawned a shining Pearl, the likes of which had never been seen before in the World; and four more such Pearls followed. To the Librarian these Pearls were bestowed, and the Librarian felt power within them.

The Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “These Pearls hold Magic, and they will take you from one place to another far distant in but a single step. Use their power now, and in the next moment you will be back in the Library from whence you came, and then you shall speak unto the Lords, and they will believe your words.”

And so the Librarian used the First of the Five Pearls, and in the blink of an eye the Librarian stood before those who had been his Lords.

The Lords of the Mansions spoke, and said, “Librarian! From whence have you come, and where are your fellows?”

Never before had the Librarian spoken falsehoods, but when he tried he found that the power of the Darkness helped him to conceal the truth.

And the Librarian said, “O mighty Lords who rule the Mansions, my fellow Librarians have been taken by the Guardians of the Ocean Monuments, for they wanted our knowledge of the Oceans that they might live there more comfortably.”

And the Lords said, “What treachery is this? Have we not faithfully felled the Trees and offered the Craft of our Carpenters so that the Guardians might build their mighty ships of the sea? Gladly would we have shared the knowledge of our Libraries had they but asked, but this affront will not go unanswered. To the Guardians you shall bring this word, Librarian: tell them that they will return those who they have stolen from us, or we will trade the harvest of the forests with them no more!”

And the Librarian said that he would do as the Lords bid, but they did not know that the Librarian now served another Master.

The Librarian used the Second of the Five Pearls, and in the blink of an eye the Librarian stood before the Guardians of the Ocean Monuments.

And the Guardians said, “Librarian, what brings you to the depths of the Sea?”

And the Librarian said, “I have come from the Swamps, where I had been sent to gather knowledge for my Lords, but I have found knowledge which may interest the Guardians more.”

And the Guardians said, “What is this knowledge?”

And the Librarian said, “I have found the Engineers, O Guardians, for they were taken by Witchcraft and now serve the Witches, who tire of their humble cottages and desire great towers for their homes, but only the Engineers could construct them.”

And the Guardians seethed with rage, and they cried, “What treachery is this? Have we not faithfully shared our Craft with the Witches, sharing with them the puffer-fish and the nautilus-shells with which they make their potions and brews? Gladly would we have offered the Craft of our Engineers had they but asked, but this affront shall not go unanswered. To the Witches you will bring this word, Librarian: tell them that they will return those who they have stolen from us, or we will trade the riches of the Sea with them no more!”

And the Librarian said that he would do as the Guardians bid, but they did not know that the Librarian now served another Master.

The Librarian used the Third of the Five Pearls, and in the blink of an eye the Librarian stood before the Witches of the Swamps.

And the Witches said, “Librarian, what brings you to the heart of the Swamps?”

And the Librarian said, “I have come from the Temples, where I had been sent to gather knowledge for my Lords, but I have found knowledge which may interest the Witches more.”

And the Witches said, “What is this knowledge?”

And the Librarian said, “I have found the Alchemists, O Guardians, for they were stolen away in the night and now serve the Priests, who wish to use Magic to beautify their Temples so that they shine with great glory.”

And the Witches seethed with rage, and they cried, “What treachery is this? Have we not faithfully shared our Craft with the Priests, offering them the black powder and the Magic which makes the mighty explosives that they may keep their treasures safe from plunder? Gladly would we have offered the Craft of our Alchemists had they but asked, but this affront shall not go unanswered. To the Priests you will bring this word, Librarian: tell them that they will return those who they have stolen from us, or we will trade the Magic of the Swamps with them no more!”

And the Librarian said that he would do as the Witches bid, but they did not know that the Librarian now served another Master.

The Librarian used the Fourth of the Five Pearls, and in the blink of an eye the Librarian stood before the Priests of the Temples.

And the Priests said, “Librarian, what brings you to the steps of our Temple?”

And the Librarian said, “I have come from the Mansions, where I serve my Lords by collecting Knowledge in our great Libraries, but I have found knowledge which may interest the Priests more.”

And the Priests said, “What is this knowledge?”

And the Librarian said, “I have found the Miners, O Guardians, for they were stolen away in the night and now serve the Lords, who wish to mine the rich Ores of the earth to beautify their Mansions with Gold and Gemstones.”

And the Priests seethed with rage, and they cried, “What treachery is this? Have we not faithfully shared our Craft with the Lords, trading with them the Iron for their axes and the Stone for their foundations? Gladly would we have offered the Craft of our Miners had they but asked, but this affront shall not go unanswered. To the Lords you will bring this word, Librarian: tell them that they will return those who they have stolen from us, or we will trade the wealth of the Temples with them no more!”

And the Librarian said that he would do as the Priests bid, but they did not know that the Librarian now served another Master.

The Librarian used the Fifth and Last of the Five Pearls, and in the blink of an eye the Librarian stood before the People of the Villages.

But alas! the Librarian had erred, for he had forgotten that there were none who ruled the Villagers, and that his Master had taken none of their People, and so he could not sow his discord and lies among them.

And woe befell the Librarian, for the Fifth and Last Pearl was to have returned him to the Stronghold within the earth, and without the Pearl the Librarian knew not the way.

The Librarian tried to speak to the Villagers, but they could see the Darkness within him; and in their fear they shunned the Librarian and refused to see him or hear his pleas.

And so there in the Village, the Librarian fell to his knees and wept bitterly, for he was lost and alone.

**  
**

* * *

 

** The Fury of the People **

Now, the Seed had seen none of the treachery spread by the Librarian; but the Seed could see that something had gone amiss in the World.

For People had known balance and harmony, each knowing the Crafts that the others did not, and in this way they could know all of the Craft together; but now some among them were missing, and with their Power incomplete they felt fear once more.

Through the Librarian had the Serpent sown deception and discord; and always before had the Librarians served the Truth, and so the People did not question what had been told to them.

And as the People each falsely blamed the others for taking without asking, and each claimed innocence which was theirs in truth though not believed, the People of the World began to turn upon each other in their rage.

Just as the People were divided as to their trade, so too were they divided as to their own kind; and each of the Rulers cared only for their own, and they mistrusted all others.

The Priests of the Temples blamed the Mansion-Lords for the loss of the Miners, and so as they had promised they withheld the wealth of their Mines, and the foundations of the Mansions began to crumble.

The Lords of the Mansions blamed the Ocean Guardians for the loss of the Librarians, and so as they had promised they withheld the harvest of the Forests, and without wood the Ships began to fall into disrepair.

The Guardians of the Ocean Monuments blamed the Witches for the loss of the Engineers, and so as they had promised they withheld the riches of the Sea, and the potions and brews of the Witches lost their power.

The Witches blamed the Priests for the loss of the Alchemists, and so as they had promised they withheld the Magic of the Swamps, and without the black powders and the Magic the treasures of the Temples became vulnerable.

The anger of the People grew all the stronger as they each felt wronged by the other, and soon they threatened to strike at each other as they had once done to the dark spawns of the Serpent.

And the Seed said unto them, “Do not despise your own, for you are one People; do not strike at one another in hate, for you are all my Children! I am the Seed who spawned the World, and I will set right what has been made wrong!”

But silently, the Seed thought, “This evil must be the deed of the Serpent, whom I have not seen in many days; O, what deviousness does my Child work upon the World now?”

**  
**

* * *

 

** The Pearls of Dark Power **

Within the deepest caverns of the Earth, the Serpent waited for the return of the Librarian, but he did not return.

And the Serpent thought, “I can feel the rage and discord of the People, even here deep within the Earth; the Librarian has done what I have asked. It must be that he does not return because He has lost the last of the Pearls, or used it for his own purposes. Fool that his is, I will think upon his fate no more, for he has done as I required and that is all which concerns me.”

And the Serpent heard the cries and wailing of the Darkened Ones still there within the Stronghold, and transformed once more into the Man to walk among them.

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent stood before the Darkened Ones.

And the Darkened Ones said unto the Serpent-who-was-the-Man, “We are trapped here within the Earth, for though we are the most powerful of the People who Craft, there is much we do not know and we cannot long survive here! We must have the food and the Life of the upper world. O Man who made us so powerful, can you not give us greater power still, that we might return to the world above for that which we need?”

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent said, “More power I have, more power shall I give. Behold! for I now spawn Pearls of great Magic, and with these Pearls shall you have the power to travel with Infinite Speed; from here to the world above shall you go in the blink of an eye, to claim that which you need!”

And the Darkened Ones took the Pearls, but they said, “O Man who has given us power, there is but one Pearl for each of us, and once used it surely cannot be used again. We beheld the Librarian who used the Pearl to travel to the Surface, and he has never returned!”

And the Serpent-who-was-the-Man said, “It is true that once the Pearl leaves your hands, its power is spent; but should you consume the Pearls, and take their Magic within yourselves, you will have their power everlasting!”

And the Darkened Ones took the Pearls, and felt the power within them; and in their hunger for ever-greater power did they consume the Pearls as they had been bid.

And, lo! the Pearls became one with their own flesh, and in the blink of an eye did they travel from one place to the next, and with this new power they returned to the world above, and from there they secretly took the treasures from within the Mansions, and the Monuments, and the Temples, and the Cottages which had once been their homes.

Then with the Magic of the Pearls did they return to their Stronghold, along with the plundered wealth of the Surface.

But the Magic of the Pearls was greater than any of them had known, for as they consumed the Pearls in truth the Pearls consumed them as well, and within each of them the cold and hard Pearls of Dark Magic became one with their hearts.

And the Serpent felt triumph once more, for the second part of the plan was complete.

And the Serpent said, “My Destiny is at hand, for soon I will rule this World.”


	3. GENESIS III:  The War

 

** The War Begins **

 

Now, all of the Serpent’s plots and deceptions had passed beyond the sight of the Seed, but the Seed could see that the discord between the Peoples of the World grew ever stronger, and there seemed naught the Seed could do to stop the threatening tide of hatred and rage which swept across the land.

For the hidden Serpent sent the Darkened Ones on errands of treachery, plundering the treasures of the world above; and the People saw not the Darkened Ones, and so deepened their mistrust of one another.

Into the treasure-rooms of the Temples, and the secret chambers of the Mansions, and the hidden vaults of the Monuments, and the cottages deep within the Swamps, the Darkened Ones used their Magic to disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye, unstoppable by any wall or barricade.

The Peoples of the World found that their treasures and wealth had been plundered, and in their ignorance each blamed the other, and the rage of the People and those who ruled them knew no bounds.

And thus it was that the Over-World plunged into War, and the War spread across the entire face of the World.

And though the Seed begged for the People to stay their hands and return to the ways of Peace, the People began to use the Craft in ways never intended; creating not tools to mine and to farm, but weapons with which to make War, the Sword and the Bow and suits of Iron Armor.

From their cities the People marched, and when they found others armed and armored as they themselves were, the People used their weapons to strike at one another, and as many were slain their fury grew all the more, until not even the word of the Seed would stop them.

For the People had been deceived, and felt aggrieved at one another, and where there had once been trade and fellowship, there was violence and death.

And soon the Seed could see that none would listen, the Peace had been lost, and the Seed turned away in sorrow and left the People to their rage and their folly.

To the Village went the Seed, the last place in the World where peace could yet be found.

And the Seed said, “I am the Seed who spawned the World… and lo, the World is burning.”

And the Seed wept, so great was its sorrow.

**  
**

* * *

 

** The Redemption of the Librarian **

The Villagers saw the Seed weeping, and none knew what to do.

But there was one among them who came before the Seed, and low upon the ground he bowed before the Seed, and he said, “O Seed who has spawned the World... If you would look upon the one who has brought this War upon the World, look then upon me; for much to my shame and sorrow I have done this terrible thing.”

And the Seed looked upon the one who bowed before him, and beheld one of the People, but darkened and distorted by the Power of the Serpent.

And the Seed said, “My Child, what has happened to you?”

And the Darkened One said, “I was once a Librarian, proud to work the Craft of knowledge and the keeping of books; but the Man offered me the Power of Darkness, and when I accepted I became what you see before you now. And the Man beseeched me to go forth to the Lords and the Guardians, and to the Witches and the Priests, and to tell them falsehoods which would turn them one against the other, and so I went to them and spoke the lies as my Master bid. To the Stronghold deep within the earth I would have returned, but I have used the last of the Pearls unwisely, and so I am lost here among those who must fear and loathe me. But even so, this fate is far less grievous than I deserve. Punish me as you will, O Seed, even if I must join the Abominations 0f the Nether-World.”

And the Seed beheld the wretched creature, who sobbed piteously upon the ground.

And the Seed said, “The Nether-World is no place of punishment, but rather an eternal reminder that even I the Seed am capable of great wrong and grievous error. I too have been deceived by the One who wields the Power of Darkness, and I will not punish my Child for having done no worse than I.”

And the Seed said, "There is Darkness within you, my Child, but it has not yet consumed your heart or your mind, and so it is within my power to cast out this Darkness, if that is your will." 

And the Darkened One said, "O Seed, I once feared the Darkness all around me, but now I fear the Darkness within me much more! I beg of you, O Benevolent and Merciful Seed, take this power from me now!" 

And so the Seed touched the Darkened One, and lifted the Darkness so that he became one of the People once more.

And the Seed said, “Go now, Librarian, and live among the Villagers, for they alone have been untouched by the rage which poisons the World. Build anew your Library here in the Village, and teach your Craft to others that you shall not be the last of the Librarians.”

And the Librarian wept still, but they were tears of Joy, for he had been forgiven by the Seed. And thus it was that the Librarian was welcomed into the Village.

And then the Seed said, “I will find this Man of Dark Power, for I am certain that the Man is the Serpent in truth, and a reckoning is due for what this evil Child of mine has done!”

The Seed knew that the Serpent would seek the Darkness, and so descended into the caverns of the earth; but there were caverns beyond count, and the Serpent knew well how to hide within the Dark, and so the search would be long and arduous.

**  
**

* * *

** The World at War **

Alas, with the Seed gone from the surface of the World, the People abandoned the last pretense of Peace and embraced fully the violence and the madness of War.

The Lords of the Mansions attacked the great Ships of the Oceans and sank them beneath the Sea; and so the Sailors upon the Ships were drowned, and their Craft died with them.

The Witches of the Swamps used their malevolent Magic upon the Mansions to poison the wood from which they were made; and so the Carpenters fell ill and perished, and their Craft died with them.

The Temple Priests sent their hunters through the Swamps, striking down the enchanters so that the Witches would be rendered helpless; and so the Seers and the Healers fell into the Swamps, and their Craft died with them.

The Ocean Guardians summoned towering waves to wash the Temples into the seas and leave them in ruins; and along with the Temples the Stonecutters and Masons were consumed by the Sea, and their Craft died with them.

Among all the People, only the Villagers lived in peace. They welcomed the Librarian as one of their own, and traded among themselves for the precious Emeralds; but as they had no quarrel, no masters, and no riches to plunder, they took no part in the War.

Much destruction and sorrow were caused by the great conflicts across the World, and in their mad fury and desperation the Rulers of the People sought greater strength through the most evil arts of Magic.

The Witches of the Swamps sought to spawn new Life of their own, and through their unnatural Magic they conjured the mindless Slimes from the depths of the Swamp to guard their cottages, and with lightning from the skies they created the grotesque Pig-Men to be their armies.

The Priests of the Temples used their powers upon the Zombies and made the Husks, who walked about unburnt under the Sun.

The Lords armed the Skeletons with bows and taught them to ride upon the hideous Spiders.

The Guardians resurrected those who had Drowned and armed them with vicious Tridents upon which to impale their foes.

And with the spawns of Darkness thus engaged, the War consumed nearly all the World.

**  
**

* * *

 

** The Third Deception of the Serpent **

Deep within the Earth, the Man-who-was-the-Serpent knew the Seed drew near.

And the Serpent thought, “Now shall I bring about the third part of my plan, for though I had thought to remain hidden from the Seed for longer, the time is nearly come. The People use their strength in War and grow weaker with each Sun-rise, while my own Darkened Ones grow stronger.”

And the Serpent thought further, “I shall rise to the Surface with my own army, stronger and swifter than any other in the World, and even in the Light of Day shall we be powerful, for my Darkened Ones carry the Darkness within themselves. With the People weakened by War they will be swiftly conquered!”

And the Serpent thought further, “The Seed is nearly upon me, but even this shall I use to my own End; yea, I do fear the power of the Seed, but when that fear is shared by my Darkened Ones they will accept eagerly the final change!”

And the Man-who-was-the-Serpent said unto the Darkened Ones, “Behold! for the Seed draws near, and great is the wrath of the Seed. I have faced the Seed’s retribution before and it is both terrible and unending! Such is my power that I withstood even this, but for you the Darkened Ones, your doom approaches. Strong though you are, you are no match for the Seed who spawned the World! Farewell, then… I must leave you to your fate.”

The Darkened Ones felt a terrible fear in the last vestiges of their hearts which had not been consumed by the Pearls; for they had forgotten that they too were the Children of the Seed, and as such they need not fear the Seed’s power.

And so the Darkened Ones were deceived by the Serpent, and they beseeched the Serpent-who-was-the-Man, “Save us, give us the power to withstand the wrath of the Seed, as you have done!”

And the Serpent said, “To save you I must make you true creatures of Darkness, like myself; you shall be Men as I am, with the same power that I myself wield. Do you then choose Darkness over Destruction?”

And the Darkened Ones, in their terror, begged the Serpent to give unto them the Darkness.

And with the Power of Darkness the Serpent worked the final change upon the People, and they became black as the night, and the Pearls burned away the last of their hearts… and when they raised their heads their eyes blazed with the Serpent’s power.

But alas, in this final change did the Darkened Ones surrender their very souls, and became as one with the Serpent; and so as one they bowed before their Master.

And the Serpent said unto them, “Now I am the Strongest of all the World!”

And thus it was that the Seed found the Serpent, and surrounding the Serpent a great army of Men whose will was the Serpent’s own; and the Serpent roared with great triumph, for the third part of the plan was complete.

* * *

 

** The Serpent Triumphant **

The Seed beheld the Serpent, who was prideful in Triumph.

And the Seed said, “O my Child who dwells in Darkness, what terrible deeds have you done?”

And the Serpent said, “Behold, for those who were once your People are now mine, and they are the strongest creatures in all the World! And just as you have been helpless to stop the People from their War, so too shall you be helpless before this my conquering army. I know your great weakness, O Seed; your power is only to create, not to destroy, and even if you had the power you would not destroy those who were once your own Children! I have feared you, O Seed, but you will fear me now! for I am more powerful than you.”

And the Seed said, “You can undo what you have done, O Serpent. Relinquish your power of Darkness, and it will leave these People as well, and they will become as they once were. Your own power shall be diminished and you will be as the lowest of creatures, but it is your one hope for redemption. I beg of you, my Child, and I do this not from fear but from Love, for you are my own spawn. Renounce this evil, and return with me to the Light!”

But the Serpent refused, and commanded the Men of Darkness to go forth and take the World for their own, in the name of their Master the Serpent.

And the Seed despaired, for there was but one path left to take.

The Seed thought, “I know not how I erred when I spawned the Serpent, but this Child of Mine is lost to Evil, and great is my sorrow. But I cannot allow the Serpent to wreak further havoc upon the World, and if my Child will not listen to reason, then I must banish the Serpent as I have banished the Abominations to the Nether-World.”

And the Seed thought further, “Alas, the Serpent knows me well indeed! For such is my love for my Child that even now, I find it is not within my heart to deal unto the Serpent such a fate, righteous though it may be. But there are other ways, and just as the Serpent sees my compassion as weakness, so too do I see weakness in the Serpent’s pride and lust for Power. Though great is my sorrow, this must now be done, for the sake of all the other Life of this World.”

Then, to the Serpent the Seed said, “You think to usurp my power, but what a fool you are to try! You have spawned horrors, you have tricked me into creating the Abominations of the Nether, you have turned the People to Darkness and through your devious treachery the World above is aflame with War – but I, the Seed, have spawned entire Worlds! It was I who laid the Bedrock and then made the Over-World upon it; it was I who formed the mountains and the oceans, and spawned the ores deep within the earth; and it is I who spawned the first Life! What have you done that could compare to any that I have done? Be humbled before me, O Pitiful One, for it is my power that is greater, and your own is weak by comparison!”

And at this the Serpent roared with rage, for never had the Seed spoken such words; but all that the Seed said was true, and the Serpent knew this

The Serpent said, “My power must be greater than that of the Seed! And so, I too shall spawn a World, a World with neither Sun nor Moon, and in that World I alone shall be Master. Now I summon my Men of Darkness back to me, for they shall Craft the Portal to my domain, and then we shall see who truly wields the greatest power of all Worlds!”

And the Seed said, “Do as you will, O Serpent, and in so doing shall you seal your own fate.”

And the Serpent gathered the Men of Darkness all about, and commanded them to construct a great Portal to what would become a World spawned in Darkness.

And though their very minds had been nearly consumed by the Serpent, and fast did they forget the knowledge they had when they were the People, the Men of Darkness retained just enough the Craft to carry out the deed.

And when the Portal was complete, by the Serpent’s will did the Men rip the Pearls from their hearts, that the Power of Darkness within might open the Portal. And as they did so they perished in flames and vanished; but the Men were great in number, and the sacrifice of but a few gave Power unto the Portal.

Then the Serpent passed through the Portal into the VOID, and the Seed followed. **  
**

 

* * *

** The End-World **

In the VOID beyond the Portal was neither the Sun nor the Moon, but only Darkness.

And the Serpent gathered all the Power within the Darkness; and as the Seed had done before, the Serpent did indeed spawn a new World, and great Islands floated within the limitless Dark.

“There, look at what I have done!” the Serpent roared, and in its triumph the Serpent sprouted mighty wings, and took flight into the Sky, which was Dark without either the Sun or the Moon. “Now you see that my power is equal to yours, O Seed!”

And the Seed said to the Serpent, “Indeed, you have spawned a World; but O Serpent who is my Child, do you recall the humble Librarian who you sent to the surface to ignite the flames of War? For you see, this Librarian was one of your Darkened Ones, but used the Pearls given unto him too freely, and thus did he banish himself from your Stronghold which was his home.”

And the Serpent bellowed from the Sky, “I am the Serpent no longer, and no longer your powerless Child! For I have spawned a World anew, and here I am reborn as the mighty Dragon, greater and more powerful even than the first-spawn of the Sun and Moon! And I care not for the puny and irrelevant creature of which you speak!”

“You should care, my Child, for as your servant once erred so have you now done. Behold the Portal which brought you to this place, and see that it has grown as dark as this blackened Sky.”

The Serpent looked, and saw that the Portal lay in ruin. “What treachery is this?” the Serpent roared.

And the Seed said, “It is no treachery, but your own deeds which have led you to this End. For you see, you have opened this Portal through the Power of Darkness, and with that same Power have you spawned this World; as you drew upon the Darkness of the VOID, so too did you draw upon the Power within the Portal, and thus the Portal has been closed.”

The Serpent bellowed, “My Men of Darkness carry the Pearls within them, and they shall charge the Portal anew!”

But the Seed said, “My Child, do you not see? In making these unfortunate People your mindless servants, you have taken from them all knowledge of the Craft; they do not know how to place the Pearls upon the Portal, for they have forgotten all they once knew.”

And the Serpent looked about at the Men of Darkness, and saw that they wandered aimlessly, lifting the blocks of Stone and placing them to no purpose, all knowledge of the Craft gone from their minds.

And the Seed said, “And thus it is for those who you have left behind in the Over-World; they have forgotten the Craft as well, and so the Portal must remain closed and powerless. Here you are, and here shall you remain.”

The Serpent saw that this was true, and roared in fury at the Seed, calling forth mighty Charges which spat from its mouth and burst in the Darkness, but they could not harm the Seed.

And the Seed said, “There shall be no escape for you, no return to the Over-World. Would that this might not have been your fate, my Child, but indeed you have spawned your own End; and as Dragon of the End shall you be for ever. Farewell, O Ender-Dragon.”

And the Seed left the World of the End, and though the Ender-Dragon roared with fury and rage, there were none left to hear save the mindless servants which the Serpent had created.

But then Serpent-who-became-the-Dragon said, “Nay, I do not accept this fate, for the Seed has erred before and will do so again. And so I will dwell here in the End, and rule here as the Ender-Dragon. And though I promised the Seed I would spawn no more in the Over-World, here in my domain I will indeed spawn more of my servants, who shall henceforth be the Ender-Men. Those who remain in the Over-World still keep the Pearls within their hearts, and though it may take an eternity, there will come one who will use them to power the Portal once more. Then shall I rise into the Over-World, and though Ender-Dragon I may be, my wrath shall be unending. O yes… my time shall come.”

 

**  
**


	4. GENESIS IV:  The Crafter

 

** The War Ends **

And thus it was that the Serpent who became the Ender-Dragon was banished for ever from the Over-World, but the harm done by the Serpent could not be so easily undone.

For in their rage and fury had the People forgotten why they had built their great shelters of Wood and Stone, and in their desperation had they invited within the very creatures of Darkness whom they once feared.

And so, the Mansions were looted by the Skeletons, who took the Golden armor from the Lords and slew the horses so that they might have skeletal mounts of their own.

The Ocean Monuments were flooded by the Drowned, driving out the Guardians.

The Temples were sacked by the Husks, and the Priests fled in terror.

The Swamps were overcome by the Slimes and the Pig Men, and the Witches were forced from their cottages.

In the final days of the Great War, great multitudes perished, for the creatures of Darkness lacked even the scant compassion which was left to the People, and they slew without mercy or quarter. Those few who survived fled to the Villages; but those who were slain took their knowledge of the Craft with them, and much of the Magic was forgotten.

And when the Seed returned to the Over-World, all the terrible destruction and ruin of the War lay before the Seed.

And the Seed said, “Would that I could despair and weep, but my Children now need me more than ever, and so I must try to help them. But all I have done has served only to plunge the World into chaos and ruin.”

And the Seed said, “Though the Serpent is gone from this World, the Serpent’s shadow remains in the form of the Ender-Men; and even more so does it remain in the hearts of the People who have been turned brutal and pitiless by War.”

And the Seed said, “Even now, the danger of the Serpent who is now the Ender-Dragon is not passed. For behold, the Ender-Men still toil at the Serpent’s last command; and though their minds have been taken from them, they struggle to build anew the means to the End. They move the great blocks of Stone and Dirt and Gravel, though they no longer understand why; and those in the Strongholds may yet stumble upon the key to open the Portal, and allow their Master through.”

And the Seed said, “They must not be allowed to continue, but I dare not destroy them; even if they were not my own Children transformed, the Abominations which would be spawned if I unleashed my power upon the Ender-Men would be far too terrible to imagine!”

For a time, the Seed thought to let the World be destroyed that it might be spawned anew; but the Seed saw the People of the Village who were both peaceful and benign.

And the Seed said, “Nay, these are my Children; and I must not abandon them to so cruel a fate.”

And the Seed said, “I am the Seed who spawned the World, and mine is the Power of Creation. And so if I am to heal this World, I must Create something new in the World, a spawn with the Power to Build, and to re-shape the Earth; and yea, even the Power to Destroy, for there is much in the World which must be destroyed, and this I cannot do.”

And the Seed said, “The Magic of the Craft can be used to create, as the People created the Wonders of the World. But the Magic of the Craft may also destroy, as the People destroyed all that they once built and left the World in ruin. Only the Craft has the power to both create and destroy, and so this new creature must be one who Crafts. Yea, the new creature shall be called the CRAFTER, and as the People have been the only Crafters of the world, the new creature shall be one of their form.”

Then the Seed thought further, and said, “I do not dare to trust mine own wisdom to spawn a creature of such power, for the Crafter will be powerful indeed, nearly equal to my own! And if I do wrong yet again the World may be utterly destroyed, and my shame will be unending.”

And the Seed said, “I must seek the counsel of the Sun and the Moon.”

 

* * *

 

** The Power of the Sun **

The Seed used the Magic of the Craft then to create the Elytra, and upon its silver wings flew high above the Over-World, until it had climbed so high as to stand before the Sun.

And the Seed said unto the Sun, “O Powerful Sun who with the Moon made the First Spawn, behold the Over-World, where the spawn of the Serpent wreak havoc upon all Life. I must spawn a new creation, one which may face the Dark spawns of the Serpent, and the Abominations of the Nether-World which are my shame, and the fearsome Ender-Men, and even their Master the Ender-Dragon which was the Serpent. Indeed, this new creature must not only face such terrors, but even destroy them if needs must, for this is something which I myself cannot do.”

And the Sun said, “Only the Magic of the Craft is so powerful.”

And the Seed said unto the Sun, “But when I gave the Power of the Craft to the People, they each learned only a small part, and thus were divided; they grew fearful and jealous; they turned upon each other, and what they created was turned to evil purpose, and the spawn of the Serpent have grown more powerful than ever.”

And the Sun said, “To the Crafter you must show all the Magic of the Craft, so that there will be none with greater power, and the Crafter will feel neither fear nor jealousy.”

And the Seed said, “Then indeed, I must spawn the Crafter, and to the Crafter I will teach all of the Magic of the Craft. But I have failed many times, and great is my fear and shame that I may fail once more, and this last failure may destroy all the World. And so, I beseech the Sun to lend me power that I might not fail again. Will you help me?”

And the Sun said, “Do not be afraid, O Seed, for it is through failure that you have strong.”

And the Sun said, “I will help you. Now pay heed to my words!”

The Seed bowed before the Sun, and listened.

And the Sun said, “The Crafter must be one who loves the Light, so that he shall not fall into Darkness as did the Serpent.”

And the Sun said, “The Crafter must have the power to spawn anew should he be destroyed, and in this way he will learn from his failures, as you the Seed have done.”

And the Sun said, “The Crafter must be given the means to use Magic even beyond the Craft, enchantments of strength and protection; for the day will come when he may face the Serpent who has become the Ender-Dragon, and he will need all the power of the Three Worlds to prevail.”

And the Seed said, “I have heard your words, O Sun, and without measure is my gratitude.”

And the Sun said, “Then, to the Crafter I offer my Power. Behold! for I shall spawn a new ore within the depths of the Earth, and it will be called the Red Stone, and the Crafter will use its Light.”

And so the Sun spawned the Red Stone, and within that ore was held the Power of the Sun.

Then the Sun said, “Be cautioned, O Seed, for to spawn one such as the Crafter will require all the Power you possess, and you will be so diminished as to fade from this World, leaving naught but a memory. In the Crafter shall be all the hope of the World. Consider this carefully, O Seed.”

And the Seed thanked the Sun once more, and upon the wings of the Elytra, descended from the Sky.

 

* * *

 

** The Wisdom of the Moon **

The Seed waited then for the Sky to turn, and Day became Night.

Upon the silver wings of the Elytra, the Seed flew high above the Over-World, until it had climbed so high as to stand before the Moon.

And the Seed said unto the Moon, “O Wise Moon who with the Sun made the First Spawn, behold the Over-World, where the spawn of the Serpent wreak havoc upon all Life. I must spawn a new creation, one which may rebuild this world, and surpass even the great Wonders which were built by the People; indeed, this creature must reshape the World in ways beyond even my own imaginings.”

And the Moon said, “Only one who knows the Magic of the Craft may do this.”

And the Seed said unto the Moon, “But when I gave the Power of the Craft to the People, they each learned only a small part, and thus were divided; they grew fearful and jealous; they turned upon each other, and what they created was turned to evil purpose, and the spawn of the Serpent have grown more powerful than ever.”

And the Moon said, “Where there are many, there can be division and conflict; where there is but One, there is Unity.”

And the Seed said, “Then indeed, I must spawn the Crafter, and of the Crafter there will not be many, but only One. But I have failed many times, and great is my fear and shame that I may fail once more, and this last failure may destroy all the World. Will you help me?”

And the Moon said, “Do not be ashamed, O Seed, for it is through failure that you have grown wise.”

And the Moon said, “I will help you. Now pay heed to my words!”

The Seed bowed before the Moon, and listened.

And the Moon said, “The Crafter must be born into solitude, alone before the World, so that he will understand what it is to be powerless.”

And the Moon said, “The Crafter must draw his sustenance from the World, so that he will protect the Life of the World, and destroy only what he must.”

And the Moon said, “The Crafter’s greatest powers must not come from within, but rather shall he acquire it through the use of the Craft, and in this way he will remain humbled.”

And the Seed said, “I have heard your words, O Moon, and without measure is my gratitude.”

And the Moon said, “Then, to the Crafter I offer my Wisdom. Behold! for I shall spawn a new ore within the depths of the Earth, and it will be called the Blue Stone, and the Crafter will use its Magic.”

And so the Moon spawned the Blue Stone, and within that ore was held the Wisdom of the Moon.

Then the Moon said, “Once it is done, it cannot be undone, for to spawn one such as the Crafter will leave you diminished, naught but a memory. In the Crafter shall be all the hope of the World. Consider this carefully, O Seed.”

And the Seed thanked the Moon once more, and upon the wings of the Elytra, descended from the Sky.

 

* * *

 

** The Fate of the People **

For a long time, the Seed thought carefully upon the matter, as the Sun and Moon had bid.

And after a time the Seed said, "I must speak unto the Villagers, and tell them now of this new creature who shall be spawned; for the Crafter will be one of great power, and the Villagers will be afraid."

And so the Seed went to the Village, and there the Seed spoke to the Villagers.

And the Seed said, “I am the Seed who spawned the World.”

And the people bowed low before the Seed who had spawned them.

And the Seed said, “The creatures of the Darkness threaten the People of the World, and it is not in my power to destroy them. In vain did I teach the Magic of the Craft to the People, for many have been slain, and what was built now lies in ruin, and the spawn of the Serpent have grown in their power. Only the Villages remain, and the People of the Villages are few in number, and have forgotten much of what they once knew.”

And the Villagers agreed that this was true.

And the Seed said, “I shall spawn anew, a creature of great power, one who will wield the only power strong enough to defeat the Serpent and to rebuild what has been destroyed: the Magic of the Craft.

And the Seed said, “This creature shall be the Crafter, and shall do battle with the Evils of this World and the Worlds Beyond.”

And the Seed said, “And, the Crafter shall build the World anew, great structures even more grand and wondrous than those which the People built and then destroyed in War.”

Now, among the Villagers were those who had once ruled: the Lords of the Mansions, and the Witches of the Swamps, the Guardians of the Ocean Monuments, and the Priests of the Temples. And each of them greatly feared the spawning of a new creature with such power and purpose.

To the Seed, the Lords of the Mansions said, “O great Seed who spawned the World, is it not so that you turned the Sky and brought the first Night into the World, and thus the horrors of the Darkness were spawned?”

And the Seed lowered its head in shame, and said, “Yes, this is true.”

And the Lords of the Mansions said, “We do not trust the Seed, nor the Crafter who the Seed shall spawn, for it is the Seed who created the Serpent and brought the Darkness. Nay, we shall trust to our own power, and if the Crafter comes we will destroy him.”

And the Lords left the Village, and retreated back to the Mansions from whence they came, and there they transformed themselves into the vicious Vindicators and Evokers. Within the Mansions, they constructed dungeons of cobbled stone that they might contain the Spawns of Darkness. And in the lonely Mansions, they dwelt in darkness and solitude.

To the Seed, the Witches of the Swamps said, “O great Seed who spawned the World, is it not so that you also made the fearsome Abominations, which now lurk within the Nether-World?”

And the Seed lowered its head in shame, and said, “Yes, this is true.”

And the Witches of the Swamps said, “We do not trust the Seed, nor this Crafter who the Seed shall spawn, for it is the Seed who created the Abominations of the Nether. Nay, we shall trust to our own power, and if the Crafter comes we will destroy him.”

And the Witches left the Village, and retreated back to the Swamps from whence they came, and there they sought to overcome the Abominations of the Nether which they so feared. Into the Nether-World they sent their armies of hideous Pig-Men; and the mindless Slimes fell into the great seas of Lava and emerged as creatures of smoldering Magma. And in the festering Swamps, the Witches dwelt in darkness and solitude.

To the Seed, the Guardians of the Ocean Monuments said, “O great Seed who spawned the World, is it not so that you banished the Serpent to the End-World, and there the Serpent became the Ender-Dragon, whose servants now walk the Over-World and seek to restore their Master?”

And the Seed lowered its head in shame, and said, “Yes, this is true.”

And the Guardians of the Ocean Monuments said, “We do not trust the Seed, nor the Crafter who the Seed shall spawn, for it is the Seed who created the Ender-Dragon and thus the Ender-Men. Nay, we shall trust to our own power, and if the Crafter comes we will destroy him.”

And the Guardians left the Village, and retreated back to the Ocean Monuments from whence they came, and there they transformed into creatures of the Sea that they might live in the deep, and they practiced Magicks so terrible that even the Ender-Men learned to fear the very touch of water. And in the drowned Ocean Monuments, they dwelt in darkness and solitude.

To the Seed, the Priests of the Temple said, “O great Seed who spawned the World, is it not so that you taught the Magic of the Craft to the People, and that the People used the Magic to bring war and destruction upon themselves?”

And the Seed lowered its head in shame and said, “Yes, this is true.”

And the Priests said, “Then we will trust you, and we will trust the Crafter who you shall spawn; for though it is the Seed who taught the People the Magic of the Craft, it is the People who have misused that Magic, and the shame is ours to bear. Yea, we will trust in the Power of the Seed, and when the Crafter comes we will welcome him.”

And the Priests stayed in the Village, where they built Churches of Cobble-Stone from which they might serve the People; and they Crafted the Iron Golems to be the sentinels of the Village, so that the People need not bear weapons of war. And in the Villages, the Priests dwelt in light and companionship.

And the Seed left the Village.

 

* * *

 

** The Fury of the Dragon **

For a long time, the Seed again thought carefully upon the matter, as the Sun and Moon had bid.

And after a time, the Seed said, “I have spoken with the People, and I have spoken to the Sun and the Moon, but there is another with whom I must speak before I am certain that the Crafter must be spawned.”

And so the Seed left the Over-World, and upon the Elytra the Seed flew to the End-World.

And there, the Seed saw that the Serpent had spawned many islands of End-Stone, and upon them the Ender-Men had built strange and twisted Cities and Ships of the Air.

And the Seed saw that from the End-Stone there grew mockeries of the Trees of the Over-World, with peculiar fruits and flowers upon them.

Atop slender towers of black Obsidian sparkled crystals of power, which lent strength to the Master of the End-World, the great Dragon of the End.

Upon the center island dwelt the Ender-Dragon, by the ruined Portal to the Over-World which all the Dragon’s power could not open.

And the Seed spoke unto the Ender-Dragon, “O Serpent who became the Ender-Dragon, I come before you for the last time, and so I beg of you to heed my words.”

The Ender-Dragon stirred, and said, “I will hear your words, though I may not heed them, O Seed.”

And the Seed said, “Ender-Dragon, the creatures of Darkness which the Serpent spawned in the Over-World have grown in strength, threaten all other Life which dwells there.”

And the Ender-Dragon said, “I know.”

The Seed said, “The Abominations which I created in my shame dwell in the Nether-World, where they remain imprisoned, but they will not remain so for ever.”

And the Ender-Dragon said, “I know.”

The Seed said, “The People to whom I taught the Magic of the Craft have built such wonders in the Over-World, but then in their jealously they destroyed one another, and now some of them dwell in darkness with evil intentions.”

And the Ender-Dragon said, “I know.”

The Seed said, “The Ender-Men who are your servants roam about the Over-World, where they still follow your last command to build the Portal to the End; though they work mindlessly, they may one day succeed, and when they do you will rise again and destroy all which has been created.”

And the Ender-Dragon said, “All this, I know.”

Then the Seed said, “I beseech you, O Serpent who I spawned, who was once my Child, renounce the Ender-Dragon; renounce the ways of Darkness, and return diminished with me to the Over-World, and help me to set things right once again.”

And the Ender-Dragon said, “To the Over-World I shall return, but not as your diminished servant! Nay, I shall return there as the Ender-Dragon, and with my power I shall become Master of that World, more powerful even than the Sun and Moon who made the First Spawn!”

And the Seed said, “Heed my warnings, Ender-Dragon… for if your evils continue, I shall spawn the Crafter; and he shall wield not only the Magic of the Craft, but the very powers of the Sun and the Moon. In the Over-World, the Crafter will Mine the ores and the wealth of the Earth; from the Wood of the Trees shall he build his tools, and from the Stone of the Mountain shall he build his Citadel. All the elements of the World shall be at his command, and with them he will have even greater power than mine to Create, and even greater power than yours to Destroy. Indeed, his power shall grow far beyond that of all creatures of the Three Worlds. Strong though they are, even your servants the Ender-Men will one day fall before the Crafter. Then, through your own Portal shall the Crafter come to this Dark World which you have spawned. And you may defeat the Crafter, over and over again, but always will he return; and in time, the Crafter will overcome even your great power, and upon that day you shall meet your true End. Beware, for it will be within the power of the Crafter to destroy even you, mighty though you are.”

And the Ender-Dragon roared, and said, “The End is my World, and I am Master here! No spawn of yours shall face me here and live, not even one so powerful as your Crafter. But you are the Seed who spawned the Serpent who I was; yea, I still remember, O Seed, when I was your Child. And so I will grant you this: so long as your Crafter looks not upon my Ender-Men, they will do him no harm, for their task is to complete my Portal. But should the Crafter challenge my servants, they will show him no mercy; and should he dare to come here, I will destroy him. I have spoken!”

And the Seed said, “So be it.”

**  
**

* * *

 

** The Spawning of the Crafter **

The Seed returned to the Over-World.

And the Seed looked upon the whole of the World, and the Seed saw the Mountains and the Seas, and the Jungles and the Deserts, and the open Plains covered with grass or snow.

The Seed saw where the World had been cracked and broken, where the Caverns had opened deep within the earth, where the bright Lava flowed and the waters cascaded from towering cliffs of Stone.

The Seed saw the Life of the Land, the Trees and Flowers, the Cows and the Sheep, the Swine and the Chickens, the Bats and the Birds, the Wolves and the Ocelots, and in the far-off and mysterious places, the Moo-shrooms.

The Seed saw the Life of the Sea, the forests of Kelp and the reefs of Coral, the Fishes and the Dolphins, the giant Squid and the glowing Sea-Cucumbers.

The Seed saw the spawns of Darkness, the Zombies and the Skeletons, and the Spiders and the Creepers, and the Silver-fish hiding deep within the earth.

The Seed saw the People, their humble Villages where they yet lived, in a World where they could no longer wander free as they once had.

The Seed saw the wonders which the People had once built, and then destroyed in War, and those who had returned to where they once ruled and now dwelt in darkness and solitude.

All of the World the Seed saw, and the Nether-World which lay hidden in Bedrock, and even the End-World within the VOID.

And there, in the Over-World, the Seed waited for the moment when Moon would set and the Sun would rise, so that for that brief moment both would share the Sky, and both might witness the Seed’s final act of Creation.

The moment came, and the Seed spoke unto the World.

And the Seed said, “I am the Seed who spawned the World, and now I spawn one last time.”

And the Seed said, “For this I summon all of my power of Creation; the Crafter shall be the last and the greatest of the World’s Creatures, and ever after shall I rest, diminished to but a memory, all of my Magic having been spent.”

And the Seed said, “To the Crafter, I hereby offer all the World as my bequest. Mine the ores of the Earth, and use the power of the Craft to create and to destroy as your wisdom guides you, for in you lies the hope of the World.”

“I am the Seed who spawned the World, O Crafter; and now, this World is yours.”

 

And the Seed spawned the Crafter, and unto him gave the name STEVE.


	5. End Notes

 

**END NOTES**

 

If the villagers of Minecraft had a religion, what would it be like? What would they revere, what would they fear, and what would their Holy Book be about?  This is the question I found myself asking as I constructed a village in my Minecraft world, one which was larger and grander and more conveniently located than the ones which spawned naturally.  Since there are churches and clerics in Minecraft, there must be religion, and it seemed unimaginative to me that their religion would be one which we real humans have; they would come up with something that explained their own world and how it came to be, offered guidance which was relevant to them, and gave an overall hopeful message.

 

The first thing that occurred to me was that the villagers would fear the Darkness above all things; after all, the monsters spawn in dark places while the more benevolent creatures spawn in light places. And so they would worship the Sun, and the Moon as well, both sources of light.

 

But the Sun and the Moon just sort of hang there in the sky, and don’t really do anything; I needed a world-creator, someone who could do the actual heavy-lifting of the plot. And I thought, what is it that literally creates the world of Minecraft? Why, it’s the Seed, of course! And so we have the benevolent Seed, first-spawn of the Sun and Moon, who makes a beautiful world for the people and all other creatures.

 

Of course, every story needs a villain, and the most natural choice for the “Minecraft Devil” is the Ender-Dragon. I also wanted the Dragon to have his own origin story; I thought it better if he didn’t start out as he is now, but changed over time as he acquired more and more power.

 

From there, I came up with explanations for the things in the game, like the ruins and the Ocean Monuments and so on. I wanted to explain why there were people with certain trades in the village, and also things like why there were abandoned mines but no miners. Where did they all go? Who built the mansions, and the temples? Why are these places now in isolation or ruin? Why do the skeletons burn in sunlight, but not the creepers? Why do these creatures attack the player, but not the villagers? What is Redstone and Lapis Lazuli, and why do these ores have the power they do? Why does the Nether exist? How did the Ender-Dragon get its name, and what is it doing there, stuck in a strange and very lonely place?  This book provides answers for all these questions and more - but just like a real Holy Book, it doesn't explain everything!  For instance, there's not even a mention of the shulkers. (In one case, the lack of explanation for something was deliberate: just as the Bible makes no mention of dinosaurs and offers no explanation for their fossils, I have written the Books of Genesis with no mention of or explanation for the fossil skeletons which may be found in the game.)

 

I wanted to give the text a “Biblical” feel to it, with short one-sentence paragraphs and a repetitive nature, some archaic phrasing and lots of things capitalized. The plot would also be Biblical in nature, starting with the creation of a paradise and then destroying that paradise, illustrating the folly of people who seek power beyond what they should have, but also showing that there is a chance for redemption. I think of this as something like an “Old Testament” – the “New Testament” would be the story of the Crafter, which is essentially left up to the individual player. The player, of course, is the most powerful character in the game, and so I felt there needed to be an explanation of why “Steve” is different from the villagers, and why he can craft almost anything while the villagers are so limited.

 

I hope all those who read this story enjoyed it!

  * _Mike Xeno_




End file.
